What does hitchhike mean?
To hitchhike is to move from one place to another without paying for transport, relying on drivers to give you a ride. The word is especially familiar from the image of a traveller standing beside a road and gesturing to passing cars, although the practice is not limited to young people or long-distance journeys. As a noun, a hitchhike refers to the journey or the ride itself. The expression is informal but well established in British and American English. It can also be used more broadly in political, technological, or social contexts, such as describing a person or system that depends on whatever opportunities become available. Hitchhiking became especially associated with the 1960s and 1970s, when inexpensive overland travel and countercultural exploration made free rides a familiar part of popular culture.
To travel from place to place by getting free rides in passing vehicles.
"We hitchhiked to the city after the bus service ended."
Informal; commonly used in British and American English.
A journey made by obtaining free rides in passing vehicles, or one such ride.
"She got a hitchhike from a truck driver outside town."
Often used in the expression “get a hitchhike.”
The regular plural is “hitchhikes.”
"They planned several hitchhikes before crossing the border."
Hitchhiking turns a roadside thumb into a passport to a new destination.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hitchhike come from?
The word was formed in the 19th century by combining “hitch” with “hike.” “Hitch” originally referred to a fastening or a short pull and had developed the sense of stopping or securing a vehicle in order to obtain a ride, while “hike” meant to travel on foot. The compound therefore describes travelling by a combination of walking and accepting rides.
Related word forms
How hitchhike is actually used
The word is informal and especially associated with travel by young people, although anyone may use it. In British English, “hitchhike” is commonly used for both the activity and a free ride; “hitchhiking” is the corresponding gerund.